Garden Pleasures

I love the sound of this week's CD Sunday Challenge:  Garden Pleasures.  Now I didn't make my card on Sunday because I was planting up some pots and tubs with flowers, thinking over what CD to choose...

 In the end I went with two.  The first uses a stunning wisteria topper from the Joanna Sheen Tom Mielko CD Workbook.  I've made an easel card using my Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles dies to frame the image.  I embossed an oval from the set onto the base card, masked it off and then used tapestry stamps to add more wisteria round the edge.  The sentiment (Stampin Up) looked a bit bare when I took the mask off so I added a few extra tendrils.  After all, wisteria never stays where it is supposed to! 

Second card is a soft and pretty image from Jane Shasky's Heart of the Garden CD, very simple with a toning DP (Memory Box I think) and some twine added.

I'm also entering my cards for:
Crazy Challenge - summertime
Creative Stamp Friends - summer
City Crafter - summertime

Goody two shoes

Here's my card for this week's Less is More Challenge which has a photo of some amazing shoes for inspiration.  I used a Katy Sue Fabulous Shoes stamp that I bought at the NEC last year and hadn't yet inked up.  It's coloured with Copics and lots of Glossy accents.  The sentiment is Hero Arts and I stamped a long JOFY netting type stamp using Shabby Shutters Distress ink on the card background.  In real life it echoes the green colour on the image.
I'm also entering:
Glitter n Sparkle Challenge - clean and simple
That Craft Place - it's a girl thing

Cats and Dogs

 I've a couple of cards to show you today, having been a bit off form this week with a bad back.  First up is an extremely simple card made by request for a Diamond Wedding Anniversary.  60 years is a real achievement isn't it.  Image is clip art with computer generated script.

The second card is an Ivory Cats by Joanna Sheen decoupage, with twine and a Hero Arts sentiment added.

I'm entering my cards for:
Totally Gorjuss - furtastic
Ruby's Rainbow - layer it up (the cat card)
Can You Digi It - loving our pets
Little Blue Button - twine or rope (cat card)
Crafty Boots - animals
Created with Love - all about dogs

Unicorns

This week's CD Sunday Challenge is Dreams and Dragons.  This is an image from the Shirley Barber CD Workbook by Joanna Sheen and I think it looks really dreamy, with unicorns trotting on water, with fairies watching from the sides.  I was lucky enough to be given the Workbook by a very kind lady who sent for it and decided it wasn't to her taste.  She knows who she is - THANK YOU!

I've added Artylicious printable paper, some tulle with roses on and used my favourite EK Success punch.  My card is also for:
Baffies Kreativladen - water
One Stitch at a Time - use your favourite (I used my punch)
Time 4 Scrap - wire the water

Less is More Meets 10 Minute Card Dash

 

Today the Limette Ladies are asking us to make hand-made flowers.  I'm not sure whether die-cut really counts, but I've been thinking over this card, using vellum for a jar, for a while and hope that it is ok.  I opted to use the colours from Paulina's 10 Minute Card Dash and thought that with die-cutting and only a sentiment to stamp this would be a really quick card.  The glueing took the time and I scraped in at 09.15.6!   Both dies are Memory Box, Penny Black sentiment is stamped in Pear Pizazz and I've used scraps of Bazzill Bling card for my blooms.

This card is for Less is More - handmade flowers and 10 Minute Card Dash - coral, French navy and pear.  Off out for a meal with a friend, will get some commenting done tomorrow!

Thanks a Bunch

 Today I set to and made a card I've been thinking over for the last few days.  It follows the layout at Sketch Saturday and I've made it in pearlised card.  The chicken wire is made with a Cheery Lynn die which I saw at Portsmouth in a card sample, though the stand hadn't brought any with them!  The Waltzing Mouse sentiment and Sue Wilson co-ordinating stamp are both inked with Memento Sahara Sand and cut with Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles.  I've had the dies and stamp since the NEC in March and this is the first time I've used them together!
I'm also entering my card for:
Addicted to Stamps - CAS
Crafty Creations - time to sparkle
Our Daily Bread - white/ivory plus your choice of other colour

I also finished up a card with an image that was printed out from the Joanna Sheen Jane Shasky CD-Rom that has been sitting on my desk for weeks and weeks!  Nothing to get too excited about but at least it's finished...

Time for a G&T

Today's card is another with a fab sentiment, this time it is decoupage from the Joanna Sheen House Mouse CD Workbook.  Confession time:  I started this card for the HM & Friends Challenge with a food theme, but didn't get it finished in time.  Their current challenge is to add some sparkle - so that is what I did!  There are citrus green gems on the sentiment and on the card.  The lacy ribbon is from Stamp Attic, DP is a very old K&K one.  I used a Martha Stewart punch on the easel section and a Spellbinders die to highlight the sentiment.

Hope you like my card, I'm off the booze just now but I am raising a long, cool, metaphorical G&T to you :).

This card is for the following challenges:
House Mouse & Friends - add some sparkle
Joanna Sheen - citrus colours
House that Stamps Built - humour me
Make my Monday - non-inked stamp or new sheet of decoupage
Tok Bobok - animal friends
Crazy Challenge - without stamps

Christmas in July

There seem to be masses of Christmas in July Challenges around at present, including at CD Sunday where I always try to play along.  I was lucky enough to have some Joanna Sheen vouchers and treated myself to the new Victorian Christmas DVD, which arrived on Saturday.  Here is my first card from it, I do love the sentiment! The gatefold card has some decoupage on it, including an extra blue tit cut from the gift tag provided as part of the design and I've added silver card matting and silver ribbon.

I'm a bit hot and bothered today in this lovely summer sunshine, so I'm hoping this chilly scene will cool me down :).

I'm also entering my card for:
Catch the Bug - Christmas in July
Simply Create Too - Christmas in July
Totally Papercrafts - all of a flutter
Sassy Studio - Christmas in July
Shelley's Images - Christmas in July
Fab 'n' Funky - Christmas in July
Inky Impressions - Christmas in July
Crafty Sentiments - Christmas in July
Partytime Tuesdays - wing it

Summer Fun

It's another beautiful hot summers day here, so today I have a summer card to show you, with those House Meeces getting a soaking from the hosepipe.  I added some Stickles for drops of water on top of the decoupage, DP is Artylicious printed out and there are some Dew Drops attached to it.  Hope you're all enjoying the weekend.
My card is for the following challenges:
Crafting Cafe - summer's here
Emergency Crafters - summer
Creatalicious - all about summer
There She Goes - animals
Crazy Challenge - no stamps
Melonheadz - emboss it
Get Inky - summer sun fun
Digi Sketch - in the summer time
Shopping Our Stash - summer theme
Oldie but Goodie - in the garden (the dew dops and the DP have been maturing in my stash for years!)
Creative Card Crew - great outdoors
Rhedd and Rosie - here comes summer

Home is Where the Heart Is

I'm bright and early for this week's Less is More Challenge, with a shaped, one-layer card made with a Nestability die and a Little Claire stamp which is one of my favourites.  In fact this is so much a favourite that I own it twice lol!  I lost the first stamp and hunted for it for weeks until I gave in and bought another.  Some months later the original turned up...
I'm also entering my card for:
Addicted to Stamps - pink, brown, green
Stampin' for the Weekend - pink and green

Hats Off for CD Sunday Challenge

I'm playing catch-up with my favourite challenges and here is my card for this week's CD Sunday Challenge, which has hats as its theme.  I recently added to my Joanna Sheen CD Project Books and wanted to use one of them, so today's card is a House Mouse one.  The little chap trying on the bobble hat is very cute and I had a fab time making the embellishments, though I'm not too sure the pins would go through the post very well, I think this had better be handed to a friend instead!  Sentiment is Hero Arts and the shape its on comes from Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles.
Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine, have a good weekend.
My card is also for:
Art Impressions - twine time
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon
Crafts & Me - anything goes
Simon Says - pin it
Loves Rubber Stamps - use a hoarded item (been "saving" the pins for years!)
Tammy's Scrappin Corner - animals
2 Creative Chicks - 3D

Shades of Grey

I think Shades of Grey is a great theme for Less is More this week.  So I don't understand why I've had so many attempts and false starts at my card for this week.  This morning I printed off a sheet of Pink Petticoat paper in Pure Silver with the intention of paper piecing with it.  Changed my mind, stamped on it with an Indygo Blu stamp and a Hobby Art sentiment, added some grey bakers twine and the card was finished in 5 mins flat.  I just hope there is enough white space!
 
This was yesterday at Aberystwyth, so proud of my son.

Red, white and blue

Yet again it's been a really busy week and I've spent little (well no) time in the craftroom lately.  Made a quick card by request today, using a Kraftyhands CD image.  I think it will be really useful as there are plenty of people in Lambourn who will appreciate horsey cards!  Bow cut from MME paper with a Die-namics die.

I'm entering my card for a few patriotic challenges:
Simon Says - patriotic
QKR Stampede - rock the red, white & blue
Milk, Coffee, Stamp - country flag challenge
Sassy Studios - red, white & blue
Crafting by Designs - show us your colours
Inky Impressions - red, white & blue
Paper Pretties - red, white & blue
Crafty Sentiments - red, white & blue
Shopping Our Stash - red, white & blue
Craft Your Passion - red, white & blue

 

One of the things that has kept me busy was an only chick:  we suffered a long power cut last Weds and this little fellow was the only survivor from an incubator of eggs.  Luckily I was able to obtain a few other chicks to keep it company:)

Sunshine and Sand

For once I have got my challenge card for Less is More done without leaving it to the last minute!  This week's challenge is Sand and I've reached for a much-loved retired Stampin' Up set for the image and the sentiment.  It's a lovely summer day today and I think this image fits just fine.  Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine :)
My card is also for:
Simon Says - anything goes
Jellypark - celebrate summer

Happy Birthday Jen

 
I'm entering this week's Less is More Challenge just in time.  Having spent days thinking about Jen's cardmaking style, little blue butterflies and other assorted ideas I have used Pan Pastels and JOFY stamps, which are exquisite.  Can you see the flower names added to the smaller flower?  Lots of matting and layering finishes off the card.
I'm also entering my card for:
Simon Says - anything goes
Pan Pastels - lots of layers

A Berry Fruity Card

Today's card comes from the Joanna Sheen Hollypond Hill CD, love the way the background paper has the butterflies on it that match the image, as well as all those delicious blackberries.  I've added a layer of decoupage to the image as well as a punched border and some ribbon.
I'm entering my card for:
Simon Says - Summer fruits
Craft your passion - in the garden
Lady Anne's - the great outdoors
Make my Monday - summer scenes
Melonheadz Friends - summer
Catered Crop - diecuts or punches

S is for...

Last week I was very sorry not to be able to join the CD Sunday Challenge.  I found that I was completely kimono-less in both CDs and general stash.  Nothing daunted, I bid for and bought a Joanna Sheen Eastern Treasures CD online for a good price.  It arrived really quickly, which was brilliant, but the package contained a Wild West CD not an Eastern one - not so brilliant!  Having sorted it with the seller, the CD arrived today - it's lovely and it does have kimonos on.  Oh well, another time...

So, on with this week's challenge:  Something beginning with S.  I have made a Summery, Striped, Side-Step card with Stickles on it, from the Jayne Netley Mayhew Pt 2 CD.  Lots of cutting out in front of the telly, lots of assembling.  Hope you like it :).
I'm also entering my card for:
Craft Your Passion - in the garden
Crafty Boots - anything but square
Creative Creations - shaped cards
Tammy's Scrapping Corner - step card
One Stitch at a Time - not square
That Craft Place - flowers
Corrosive Challenge - summertime
ABC - pretty in pink

Bee-lated Wishes

Here's my card for this week's Less is More Challenge - Hexagons.  To my annoyance my Nesties are octagons, not hexagons, so I used a border for the Silhouette and added a few of the "waste" hexagons at the bottom.  Sentiment and bees are Elzybells stamps.
I'm also entering my card for:
Penny Black & More - clean and simple
Bunny Zoe - wings
My Craft Spot - cute as a bug
Tammy's Scrapin Corner - anything with wings

Time for Tea

Here's a card that's a bit of a reaction to all those masculine challenges around at present :).  The shaped and decoupaged card is from the Elizabeth Bell Simpler Times CD.  I've added Glossy Accents to the flower in her hair and to the teacup and saucer.  Not my usual type of thing, but enjoyed making it up.
I'm entering my card for:
Allsorts - time for tea
Creative Corner - girly girl

A Hurricane - I hope

A friend asked me to make a birthday card with a plane on for a friend who has restored a WW2 Hurricane.  I found this image on a Joanna Sheen Nostalgia CD Rom and having Googled Hurricanes I reckon this is one.  Hope so!  Very C&S card with some scored paper behind the image which was cut out with a Nestie.  Some twine and a sentiment finish it off.
I'm entering my card for:
Simon Says - transport
Joanna Sheen - Father's Day/Male
Crafty Calendar - things with wings
Gem of a Challenge - Father's Day/Male
Jellypark Friends - masculine
Simply Create Too - Father's Day/Male
Milk/Coffee - Father's Day/Male
Crafting by Design - male
Crafting for all Seasons - one for the boys